1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for assisting a person in achieving a standing position from a sitting position. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus adapted to aid a person who is in a sitting position within a vehicle to exit such vehicle to a standing position.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A great deal of effort has been devoted to producing apparatus designed to assist a person to rise from a sitting position on a chair or a bed to a standing position. Examples of such apparatus are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,553,746, 3,591,874, 3,739,793, and 4,474,202. These patents disclose devices which are designed to rest on a floor adjacent or beneath a chair, bed, or similar object. U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,339 discloses a U-shaped handle apparatus secured to a door post of a vehicle, particularly a vehicle having a high ground clearance. The handle extends from the door post towards and into the interior of the vehicle. The handle apparatus is graspable by the hand of a vehicle entrant so that the entrant may apply a lifting force to the handle to assist himself into the vehicle.
Several prior art patents disclose assist straps or cords and means for mounting them on the interior of a passenger vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,950 discloses an assist strap and spring-loaded means for mounting it on the interior of a vehicle. The spring-loaded mounting means maintain the assist strap, when not in use, in a retracted position. U.S. Pat. No. 2,261,395 discloses a similar spring-loaded mounting means for an assist cord. U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,606 discloses an assist strap and a mounting bracket which is particularly adapted for use in connection with what is referred to as a "hardtop convertible". Because assist straps are mounted on the interior of automobiles, they do not provide enough leverage to be of much assistance to one who is trying to attain a standing position from a seated position on an automobile seat. The same may be said of the handrail attachment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,590. The handrail attachment comprises supporting rods mounted in the interior of a motor vehicle, just above the doors thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 2,586,986 discloses several embodiments of a hand support for automobiles. The hand support is mounted on an automobile window rail to serve as an arm rest, as opposed to means for assisting one in entering or exiting the vehicle.
Despite the innovations disclosed in the foregoing patents, there is an unmet need for a structural aid specifically designed to assist one in the act of exiting a vehicle. The need is greatest in connection with automobiles which are low to the ground, because it is more difficult to stand up from a low seat than from a higher seat. There is a trend in the design of passenger automobiles towards smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. As a consequence of this trend, newer model passenger cars are closer to the ground than their predecessors. Even prior to the beginning of this trend, the act of exiting a vehicle has been a difficult one, particularly for persons having less than average strength or mobility in their legs and backs. The trend of designing smaller passenger automobiles has exacerbated the already difficult act of exiting an automobile because the seats in such automobiles are closer to the ground.
The frame of a car door does not provide adequate leverage to one who uses it to help himself or herself out of the car. The same is true of the automobile assist devices discussed above. An open car door is positioned to give better leverage, but the application of leverage thereto serves only to move the door towards a closed position.